VS.

WAHOOO - It’s tourney time!!! Besides college football season, this is by far the best part of the sports year.

Good News- My two favorite teams (WISCONSIN & USC) both made it in. Wisconsin (a #3 seed) will face off against Cal State Fullerton, while USC (a #6 seed) will play Kansas State.

Bad news - If they both manage to win in the first round, they will face each other in the second.

Then what do I do? Root for USC, my alma mater? Or stick with Wisconsin, the team I have followed for as long as I can remember.

View the complete bracket at ESPN.com

Play ESPN.com’s Men’s Tournament Challenge

 

So What is Gator?

Here are the rules:

1. Gator rules are soccer rules except as specified below.
2. You can touch/catch/possess/pass/shoot the ball with your hands if:

• The ball DOES NOT touch the ground prior to you touching it with your hands,
• The ball last touched another player (that is, another player kicked/threw/deflected the ball and you touch/catch the ball on the fly),
• The ball did not touch you last (that is, no passing to yourself or bobbling the ball),
• You are NOT inside the goal box on either side of the field. (except for the Goalie, in which case the goal box is the ONLY place he/she can catch the ball)

3. Your team forfeits possession of the ball if:

• Another player tags you while you possess the ball with your hands,
• You touch the ball illegally (ex: touching the ball with your hands in a goal box, touching a ball with your hands that touched the ground immediately before you touch it with your hands),
• You possess the ball with your hands while inside the goal box.

4. In Gator, “out of bounds” rules apply to the end lines, not to the side lines. The field extends to infinity horizontally.
5. In Gator, “offsides” does not exist.

 

Go Big Or Go Home!!

 

Two great movies from the 80s - one a cheesy love story, the other a ridiculous story of a young man who discovers that there is more to martial arts than fighting.

Here is Lloyd Dobler kickboxing in “Say Anything”

Now take a look at the Cobra Kai in “The Karate Kid”

Craziness - It’s the same place.

Conspiracy Theory - I think John Cusack is really a member of the Cobra Kai.

Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it?!
No Sensei!!

 

This is super classy.

 

Thanks Don Majkowski. I strive to be as cool as you.

The Majik Network

 

For as long as I can remember, Brett Favre has always been there. Sixteen years. If there was ever one thing I could count on, every fall Sunday he would be there, leading his Packers onto the field, playing football as it was meant to be played.

Through good times and bad, Favre has truly exemplified the spirit of the game. Spirit. This is the true legacy of Favre. Forget all the numbers, the 3 consecutive MVP awards, the Super Bowl title - what really mattered was how he played the game. A true competitor, he showed up every week not for the money, but because he just loved the game. Never did he mail it in because he had just locked up a fat contract - never did you see him playing harder because it was contract year. He played hard - EVERY WEEK - just because he loved the game.

Growing up, I always followed the Packers. Raised in Green Bay, I grew up a mile and a half away from Lambeau Field - to not follow the team would have been absolutely impossible. But I was not always a true fan. Sure, I knew about the team, I could tell you who had won and who had lost from week to week - but to be honest, it really didn’t mean that much to me. The moment that I transitioned from being a casual fan to bleeding green and gold is a memory that lives vividly in my mind - it will forever be one of my fondest sports memories.

It was 1996, and for the first time since 1967, the Packers were returning to the Super Bowl. On one of their first offensive plays, Favre dropped back and hit Andre Rison on a post route for a touchdown. What happened next was truly a life-changing experience for me. In a moment of pure jubilation, Favre ripped off his helmet and charged off the field, with a huge grin on his face. It sent chills down my spine. At that moment nothing else mattered - not the fame, not the money - Favre was a kid living out his dream. It was apparent… he just loved football.

From that moment on, I was hooked. I knew that as long as Brett Favre was around, I would always be a Packer fan. He played for the love of the game, and thats why I loved to watch.

I can only hope that those who are to follow aim not to match his numbers, but rather his spirit. Forget about the wins, the losses, touchdowns, and interceptions. Play for the love of the game, and you will truly honor his legacy.

 

Hilarious. Absolutely Hilarious.

The Original “I’m F*cking Matt Damon”

Take that Matt Damon.

 

Chad Ford really hit the nail on the head this week in his analysis of USC Freshman guard OJ Mayo.

From Ford’s Draft Watch

Mayo was ranked No. 1 on our Big Board in July. Some of that had to do with hype, but most of it had to do with Mayo’s game. He already had the body and athleticism of an NBA player. He was an excellent scorer and scouts said they thought he would be a full-time point guard in the pros.

Mayo still has proven he has the ability to score at USC. But the point guard thing hasn’t materialized. He’s looked fairly one-dimensional this season — his assist and rebound totals are underwhelming. Some of that isn’t Mayo’s fault as he’s asked to play off the ball and carry the team on offense. But for scouts looking for something more than a shoot-first 2 guard, they’ve been disappointed. Some are calling him the next Jerry Stackhouse — a guy who never met a shot he didn’t like or a defensive set he did like.

Scouts are being too critical in my mind. The backlash against Mayo has been too severe given his numbers. As a freshman, he’s averaging more than 20 ppg in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball and shooting a respectable percentage from the field. His assist-to-turnover ratio isn’t pretty … but he’s been asked to do a lot.

The fact that he played Rose to a draw and outplayed Arizona’s Bayless stands out. But the truth is that if scouts are skeptical, then he’s got to prove himself during workouts.

Right now he’s ranked No. 9 on our draft board. But I think teams like the Knicks and Clippers will take a long look at him earlier in the draft.